TOKYO: The Japanese government may lift its declaration of a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus epidemic earlier than planned for the 13 prefectures on special alert, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday.

Suga told a news conference that the government can lift the declaration for some areas without waiting for its scheduled expiration on May 31 even if such areas are the special alert prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, depending on its interim assessment on the situation over the epidemic, expected to be announced as early as May 14.

The government is planning to select areas where the state of emergency, currently covering the entire nation, can be ended, after analyzing the number of new infections and the medical system for each prefecture.

"Although no concrete schedule has been fixed, we want to make responses while hearing opinions from experts at an appropriate timing," Suga said.

JIJI Press